Enterprise digital rights management (E-DRM or ERM) refers to applying access control to digital content at an enterprise level (e.g., a corporation, university, government department, etc.). E-DRM, also sometimes called Information Rights Management (IRM), is generally intended to prevent the unauthorized use of digital content which is proprietary to an enterprise. Under an E-DRM system, governed content is typically encrypted or otherwise made inaccessible. Attempts to access governed content are managed by the E-DRM system, which only allows users permitted levels of access to permitted content. Specific levels of access (e.g., read, write, copy, execute, etc.) to specific digital content can be provided to specific users or groups.
E-DRM systems conventionally require the deployment of a client E-DRM access component on each governed computing device. The client E-DRM access component intercepts and manages attempts by the client to access local digital content under E-DRM control. Such local content can include governed content created and/or stored on the client. By intercepting and managing access requests, the client E-DRM access component provides only permitted access to permitted content to the user.
Situations occur in which it is desirable for a user to access E-DRM controlled content, but a client E-DRM access component is not available. Examples include a user operating a smart phone or other portable computing device without a client E-DRM access component, a user in the field accessing the Internet from a shared or public computer, a user operating a home computer, etc.). It would be desirable to address these issues.